Famous fast food logos that vanished over the years

Lost logos

Fast food giants like Burger King and Taco Bell have some of the world’s most recognizable logos, but you might be surprised to see how different they used to be. McDonald’s was once headed up by Speedee, a chef with a hamburger-shaped head, while Pizza Hut had a quirky mustached mascot named Pete. Then there are the chains that used to be huge but no longer exist – from Henry’s Hamburgers, with its smiling burger sign, to Howard Johnson’s iconic nursery rhyme-themed logo. Following the recent outrage caused by Cracker Barrel and its redesign, we take a look at our favorite retro logos that are no longer used.

In the mood for some fast food nostalgia? Read on to discover the forgotten logos from some of the world's most loved chains, counting down to the most missed of all.

28. Valle’s Steak House

Back in the day, a sign with 'Valle’s' in capital letters and a gold crown perched on top of the 'V' signaled that you were nearing a Valle’s Steak House. Set up in the 1930s, there were once more than 30 locations on the East Coast, serving a variety of steaks and lobster. Sadly, the last one closed in 2000.

27. Harvey’s

Canadian chain Harvey’s has been ‘making your burger a beautiful thing’ since opening in the late 1950s. It’s still one of Canada’s best-loved fast food joints, distinguished thanks to its burger-shaped logo. While today you’ll find locations with the word ‘Harvey’s’ slotted between an orange and blue burger bun, its original logo was even simpler – orange and white with little detailing – and arguably more modern than the version used today.

26. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour

The ice cream parlor with epic sundaes, kitschy interiors, and singing and drum-banging waiters, Farrell’s was established in Portland, Oregon in 1963. The logo featured a couple holding hands across a diner table with milkshakes. 'Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant' was written above in a red, Western-style font.

25. Little Tavern

Set up in Louisville, Kentucky in 1927, Little Tavern was heavily inspired by fellow fast food brand White Castle. Locations were instantly recognizable thanks to their thatched green roofs, as shown in the advert here. The logo simply featured the words 'Little Tavern' and these were usually green and white (though, occasionally, it was red). The last remaining Little Tavern location, in Baltimore, Maryland, closed in 2008, with some of the old buildings still standing.

24. The All American Burger

The blue logo of Californian chain The All American Burger could be spotted on its sign, as well as on each location's roof. It featured a white eagle with red feathers and little white stars around its border. It shot to fame when the restaurant appeared in the 1980s coming-of-age film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Sadly, all of its outposts have long since been closed.

23. Mother’s Pizza

Loved for its unlimited pizza buffet and garlic butter pizza crusts, Mother’s Pizza was one of Canada’s most popular fast food restaurants. The Ontario-based chain was founded in 1970 and could be easily spotted thanks to its yellow and brown signs hanging above each restaurant. The design was simple, with American saloon–style lettering in brown layered over a sunshine yellow background. The brand eventually went bankrupt in 1991 and shuttered all locations.

22. A&W

Believe it or not, this striking sign is what was outside A&W restaurants from the 1920s to the 1960s. It featured an orange target with 'A&W' at the top, 'Ice Cold' in the middle, 'Root Beer' at the bottom, and an arrow slotted in the middle. The brand underwent a revamp in 1971, when the retro-looking logo was changed to the sleek orange and brown oval with the restaurant’s initials that we're used to today.

21. G.D. Ritzy’s

A forgotten favorite, there were once over 90 G.D. Ritzy's locations across the eastern states – but today, there are just a handful left. Some of the stores had a logo featuring a man in a bowler hat on top of a red circle, plus the restaurant chain's name in bold typeface. Other outposts had a different sign; just 'Ritzy’s' on a red background with a semi-circle above and below.

20. IHOP

Did you know that IHOP stands for 'International House of Pancakes'? If you visited during the 1950s, there would be no doubt, as the original signage and logo had the words written across it. For a restaurant, the logo was relatively complicated; it featured a wooden structure, plus a streetlight and banner, where its name was written. It was a far cry from the minimalist acronym it uses today.

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19. Carl’s Jr

Not world's away from the restaurant's current logo, there are a few notable differences between Carl Jr's branding in the 1950s versus today. The star's features and characteristics were more noticeable, with freckles and feet, and it originally clutched a hamburger and a drink. Nowadays, it's just a simple smiling yellow star. 

18. Burger Queen

While it might sound suspiciously similar to two well-known fast food brands, Burger Queen was its own entity and in the 1960s, locations began popping up across America. The outlets’ menu focused on fried chicken, burgers, and milkshakes. Its logo was an orange 'Q' with the restaurant name written inside it in red and a yellow crown perched on top. Its mascot Queenie Bee, a black and white bee, sometimes appeared beside it. In the 1980s, all the restaurants were changed to Druther’s. 

17. Pioneer Chicken

Signposts for regional fast food chain Pioneer Chicken could be found all over California in the 1960s. These typically featured a chicken wagon with 'Pioneer Takeout' written on top. It was driven by Pioneer Pete, a mustached chef with a chef's hat and red scarf, who carried a piece of golden chicken.  Nowadays, only two Los Angeles outposts remain, in Boyle Heights and Bell Gardens.

16. Happy Eater

Drawing influences from Howard Johnson’s, Happy Eater was a British roadside restaurant chain founded in the 1970s. The brand, famed for its colorful interiors, children’s play areas, and family-focused menu, could be easily distinguished from other restaurants thanks to its chirpy logo. A friendly red face with a small tuft of hair and a hand pointing to its mouth could be found hanging above the restaurants, alongside red or white lettering reading ‘Happy Eater.’ Unfortunately, Happy Eater closed all of its 90 branches by 1997.  

15. Arthur Treacher’s

You won’t have seen this logo in a while unless you live in northeast Ohio, where there are still a handful of these fish and chip shops left. The signage is basically a yellow lamp post with a portrait of Arthur Treacher (an English actor who starred in Shirley Temple movies, and the restaurant’s spokesperson) wearing a checkered green hat and jacket. It could be found outside the front of Arthur Treacher’s 826 restaurants during its heyday in the 1970s.

14. Taco Bell

This Mexican-inspired chain, famed for its Crunchwrap Supremes, is instantly recognizable for its purple and white (formerly pink) logo, but it has only been using these colors since the 1990s. When it first launched, Taco Bell had multi-colored branding on restaurant buildings and advertisements. From the 1960s to the 1980s, each letter of 'Taco Bell' was written in a white sans-serif font on a different color square.

13. Denny’s

Did you know that when American diner Denny's first opened in 1953, it was called Danny's Donuts? The logo featured 'Danny's' in white, with 'donuts' written below. The 'd' and 't' extended upwards like two posts, while below, there were arrows. To finish it all off, a giant donut was slotted on top, with the letter 'D' in its center. The brand's name, and therefore the logo, changed to Denny's in 1959.

12. Henry’s Hamburgers

Seeing a smiling hamburger holding a cup, with a 'H' for a body meant one thing: Henry’s Hamburgers. This chain's color scheme was green and red and it signposted its 200 stores, which were coast to coast in the 1960s. Here, you could get all of the fast food classics, including chili dogs, fish sandwiches, deep-fried shrimp, and crispy catfish.

11. Dairy Queen

While the more recently updated restaurant logos are signposted by the initials 'DQ' on a red almond, you can occasionally see old (and sometimes defunct) Dairy Queen branches carrying the restaurant’s original branding. The chain's name, 'Dairy Queen', was written out in full on a blue or red circle, with an ice cream cone positioned to the side.

10. Red Rooster

Founded in 1972, Red Rooster is an Australian roast chicken brand – and its logo has quite the back story. In the 1970s, the chain’s logo featured a drawing of a red rooster with the brand’s name written underneath. It was given a small makeover in the 1980s, with more stylized lettering (pictured). In 2006, the chain removed the rooster altogether, replacing it with the phrase ‘It’s Gotta Be Red,’ and by 2014, Red Rooster had yet another redesign, bringing back its rooster with a heart shape as the bird’s body. Fast-forward to 2020 and the brand introduced its current logo, with a more modern rooster look and red typography.

9. Howard Johnson’s

One of the most recognizable logos in America, now-defunct restaurant chain Howard Johnson’s early branding included the image of Simple Simon and the Pieman. Designed by John Eagles Alcott, it was inspired by a nursery rhyme. You could find it on the sign outside its restaurants, as well as on chinaware, glasses, napkins, and placemats.

8. Jack in the Box

This wacky logo dates back to the 1960s, when fast food chain Jack in the Box was circus themed. The box read 'Jack in the Box' in a red font and was topped with a clown's head. Not creepy at all, then... The following decade, it shed its carnival branding in favor of a classy new update.

7. Pizza Hut

In Pizza Hut’s early years, its mascot was an Italian chef called Pizza Hut Pete, complete with a bandana neckerchief and yellow hat. He sometimes appeared alongside the logo, which featured the name 'Pizza Hut' written in a jagged font. The immediately recognizable roof emblem we know and love today didn’t come along until the late 1960s.

6. Chick-fil-A

This famous chicken chain’s logo, featuring an eye, beak, and comb drawn onto the 'C' of 'Chick-fil-A,' hasn’t always been so sleek and seamless. When the restaurant was founded in the early 1960s, it featured a quirky sketch of a chicken’s head to the left of the restaurant's name (which was spelt differently back then) and underneath, in bold lettering, a claim to being the 'best thing that ever happened to a chicken.'

5. Tim Horton’s

One of Canada’s most distinguished brands, you’ll find a Tim Horton’s coffee and donut shop on every street across the country. While Tim Horton’s may be known for its minimal red lettering nowadays, its original logo was rather elaborate. The brand’s iconic red ‘Tim Horton’s’ lettering on a white oval background was accompanied by either ‘Always Fresh’ or ‘Donuts’ on a yellow rounded backdrop. These phrases were then layered over yellow and blue stripes. Tim Horton’s outlets and its signature new red logo can now be found across the globe.

4. Burger King

In 1957, Burger King’s logo was a jolly king mascot sitting on a burger and holding a drink. Underneath was the name, followed by the slogan 'Home of the Whopper.' This colorful logo lasted just 12 years, after which it was replaced by a burger with the restaurant’s name sandwiched between two buns.

3. Little Chef

Ask anyone who grew up in Britain and they’ll say no road trip across the country was complete without stopping off at a Little Chef. The chain, famed for its giant full English breakfasts, pancakes, and burgers, was easily recognizable thanks to its bright red and white logo. A cheery-looking chef, complete with a chef’s hat and neckerchief, could be seen holding a tray of food and was painted onto a red circular background. ‘Little Chef’ was often written in white underneath. Sadly, the chain closed its last location in 2018.

2. Burger Chef

McDonald’s biggest competitor in the 1970s, Burger Chef once totaled 1,200 stores across America. During this time its logo featured a cheery character wearing a polka dot bow tie and a hat that read 'Burger Chef.' Six years later, the face was dropped, leaving just the hat and typography. Its popularity began declining in the 1990s, and by 1996 all of its locations had shut.

1. McDonald’s

Before McDonald’s adopted the golden arches, it relied on a slightly sinister chef character whose face was a hamburger to signpost it. In the 1950s, its adverts, cups, and packaging all featured Speedee, with the restaurant name written out in full above him. The logo looked suspiciously similar to fellow fast food brand Henry's Hamburgers', and McDonald's gave it an update the following decade.

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Now discover the most influential fast food mascots of all time

Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.